Calling it 'infructuous', Madras High Court dismisses code violation plea against DMK Chief MK Stalin

The Madras High Court on Monday dismissed a petition filed by former MLA and spokesperson of AIADMK RM Babu Murugavel seeking action on a 
complaint lodged against DMK chief M K Stalin for alleged violation of the Model Code of Conduct, stating it to be 'infructuous' - essentially, unnecessary.

Reacting to the writ petition, standing counsel for the EC Niranjan Rajagopalan has submitted a statement saying that the complaint has already been acted upon.

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Based on this submission a division bench of Justices S Manikumar and Subramonium Murugavel said:

   "As the complaint has been acted upon already, the writ petition has become infructuous and hence dismissed."

On March 26 the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) had directed the electoral officer of Thiruvarur district to send the report of the action taken by them to the CEO's office.

The EC office had already served a notice to Saptharishi of DMK Mavatta Manavargal Iyakkam seeking an explanation.

Speaking about the reason for the complaint against the DMK chief, Murugavel has alleged:

Stalin and the DMK, with an intention to cause disrepute and to defame and damage the name and reputation of Chief Minister K Palaniswami, have been circulating video clips and making allegations linking the Chief Minister to the Kodanad Estate murder and robbery case.

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Murugavel had filed a complaint with the EC, considering that the above act violated the code of conduct which prohibited false statements by any candidate or any other person in the public domain.

According to Murugavel, following DMK's breach of the code of conduct, the Chief Minister has moved a civil suit in the Madras High Court in connection with the issue and has obtained an injunction against certain people from making such statements. 

"But, while the interim injunction was still operative, the DMK and its leaders were making such wild allegations against the Chief Minister in most of its election campaigns which are per se defamatory and scandalous" states Murugavel in his complaint.

Murugavel says that while he had filed a petition seeking action on his complaint on 22 March, no action was taken against it.

Lok Sabha elections in Tamil Nadu is scheduled on April 18.

(With Inputs from PTI)